caeron

Ditto. I went a bit before the pandemic took hold, and all the guys were on their phones ignoring everyone which was just as well because it wasn't an enticing crowd. I visit rarely enough that It may have gone through ups and downs I don't see, but it was definitely down last time.

That's a relief! Tyranny and fascism seem to be spreading around the globe these days.

I hope Simon in Myanmar is doing ok in the midst of all their madness. He was a fabulous guide for me. I was hoping to go back and see more of the country... Maybe some day.

I read a review that persuaded me. It basically asked, "what is the point of rescuing this film by remaking it?" That struck a chord with me. I don't really have much interest in watching it. Maybe if it comes to one of the streaming services I have, but I am not going to the theater for it, nor to pay to rent it.

Yes, I expect Omicron to put a screeching halt to much of the openings, given its ability to breakthrough current vaccinations.

I'm not sure how making light of sexual assault helps anyone. It isn't a joke to the people who are assaulted, and it feels quite gross to suggest they'd be more amenable to advances because they'd been assaulted enough to somehow be ok with it. How about "I hope in the army he learned to be more open minded about sexuality and more willing to experience new things." You can say the same thing without suggesting that Thai men getting raped by their superiors is somehow something to say "ha ha" about. I've known people who have suffered sexual assault. The spiritual scars can last a lifetime.

I'm won't argue, since I'm sure you're right. I was using google to confirm my limited knowledge of the subject relating to the two ethnic groups and where they predominately were: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hui_people says that the Hui people are mainly in the Northwest as does https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghurs also says that the Uyghur are also from the Northwest. When my knowledge of a subject is relatively limited, I try to seek sources before commenting.

They are both in northwest China is all I meant. I know they're quite distinct. The Hui speak Chinese and are quite integrated into Chinese society according to what I read. No doubt that's why they don't get the same abuse the Uyghur are getting.

The Muslims of China are typically ethnically distinct to my knowledge. In Xi'an, they're typically Hui, though this is also the region of the part of China the Uyghurs come from that we've heard so much about because the Chinese government is oppressing them so badly. That said, he looks perfectly Chinese to me.

I googled Luca, and you're right. Seems his genes are working against him, he was cute. Zhao certainly is.

It's a travel article, not a news article.

Of course the travel ban won't prevent the spread. But, it might slow it a bit and buy scientists a bit more time. And while I can't disagree with the comment that the rich countries are taking care of their own more than sharing, when has that ever been any different? The US has pledged a billion doses of the vaccines to developing nations. I think that's a good start in a fight that will likely drag on for some time.

For all Biden's flaws, he had strong support among older voters, My mom and all her friends like him, and among black voters. He spent 8 years as second fiddle to Obama and they remember that. And, he was a guy which seems to be still enough of an issue for voters that women candidates struggle more.

I feel grateful that I'm rich enough that I can choose what level of exposure to the world I'm comfortable with.

Hmm. Maybe being a dog isn't so bad.

I spent a career in corporate communications working with CEOs. There were a lot of troubling secrets. What I learned is that secrets don't keep. There are too many loose lips and people that could benefit by revealing it. Only those who have never been involved in such things could believe that large numbers of people could keep their mouths shut. Human nature is to blab. Even more so when there is benefit in it. Conspiracies are, for the most part, intellectual masturbation that makes the believer feel superior to the unbeliever because they possess 'hidden knowledge'. Witness all the stupidity of Qanon. Belief in such nonsense leads to a lot of dark places. January 6th for instance.

Don't let China hear you say that!

Honestly, good for her. Why should men have all the fun? I think for a lot of escorts, getting paid gets them hard, so they're do whatever gets the cash. I think offering him her contact info and letting him make the call is the right answer.

Times have changed. Used to be heroin was what the golden triangle was known for.

My thought as well. That means all the flights are going to be super expensive until that trend reverses.

Ok, tell us more. How did you come up with this list? Why? What do you want most? Why just those countries? Why not mexico or chile? Since you have the ability, I'd consider longer stays in each and then decide. Me, I'd go for Spain among those. Because while sexy time might run a bit more, you have the full benefit of an EU country. Food's great all three places.

I so enjoyed my visit before all this insanity. I wanted very much to go back for an extended visit. But, hell no, I'm not doing it now. Fuck the generals.

I do separate the people from the government. It isn't the people I don't trust, it's a government that committed the Tiananmen massacre. Their recent actions in Hong Kong show to me that they haven't changed. Their arrest of Canadians in a naked attempt to force the Canadian government to subvert their own justice system is just more proof of the type of regime it is. Iran also has locked up civilians trying to get leverage with their governments. With my familial ties to the military and the intelligence community, I am not willing to risk going and getting turned into a pawn. I hope it changes one day, since I'd very much like to visit, but with the current political situation, I think it unwise. Others with no such concerns may find the risks acceptable.

I believe China holds foreign nationals as political prisoners (Canadians attempting to apply leverage to the Huawei thing). While I'm a civilian, my family includes people who aren't. There simply isn't the rule of law in the country when the powers that be deem it should be otherwise. China is a typical authoritarian regime. They dress themselves up nicely, but underneath that, there is nothing that stops the authorities from doing whatever the hell they want to you. As I've gotten older, my interest in engaging with these kinds of regimes has significantly diminished and my interest in placing myself in a position where that kind of power might be wielded against me. While the odds of that seem low, there are plenty of other places in the world where that isn't true. Maybe some day it will be different and I will go back. Your mileage may vary.

China is mess, and I want nothing to do with it. They're assholes to everyone around them, and to their own people. The fact that my nation often sucks too, doesn't mean I can't judge them as well.